Freight and stock car.



l. B. SHELTON. FREIGHT AND STOCK CAR- APPLLCATION FILED 1AN.26. 1917.

Patented July 3, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l A TTOR/VEV J. B. SHELTON.

FREIGHT AND STOCK CAR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.26, 1917.

Patented July 3, 191?.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- A TTOR/VEV WITNESSES: "3/

J. B. SHELTON.

FREIGHT AND STOCK CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1917.

Patented July 3, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A TTOR/VEY W/TNESSES: X/WM W My I drawings and more nrirrnn snares rnrnnr erosion.

JOHN BELL SHELTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SI-IELTON ADJUSTABLE DOUBLE DECK CAR 00., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FREIGHT Ann STOCK can.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 3, 119317..

Application filed January 26, 1917. Serial No. 144,734.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BELL SI-IELTON, citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Freight and Stock Cars, and declare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a combined freight and stock car shown in the accompanying particularly pointed out in the following specification and claims.

Among: other objects is an improvement in the general construction of this type of car by which the weight and cost of production is materially reduced, while its etficiency is increased.

One feature of the invention is the reduction of the size and weight of the traveling beams employed in cars of this character for raising and lowering the adjustable deck or platform.

Another feature of the invention is the sheaves bolted to the side frames of the car, over which the cables pass connecting the platform with the traveling beams.

Another feature of the invention consists in thepeculiar construction of the movable platform itself, in which channel irons are employed to form its frame, with wood strips partially lodged therein and bolted to the channel me1nbers;to which a single course of flooring is spiked, thus reducing the weight and cost over decks having a double course of planking in accordance with the usual practice.

Another feature of the invention is the hinged deck supports pivoted to the walls of the car; (a plurality of which are connected together for simultaneous operation) the construction being such that they do not interfere with the use of the ladders, or grab irons on-the outside of the car body, when tilted or not in use, thus complying with the legislative requirements that have been especially directed to these matters.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings accompanying this specificat1on- Figure l is an elevation of a car with one portion in longitudinal section, showing the adjustable platform raised to form a double deck stock car.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view (on a larger scale) showing the rotatable shaft and angle-shaped traveling beams mounted thereon the sheaves bolted to the car frame; and the cables connected with the beams for supporting a movable platform.

Fig. 3, is a plan. view of one of the traveling beams.

Fig. A, is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the adjustable deck showing the channel members, and the wood strips, bolted to and partially lodged within the channel irons, to which the flooring is spiked.

Fig. 6 is a plan View deck. I

Fig. 7 isa cross sectional view through the car, showing the adjustable deck raised with the swinging supports in position to receive and sustain said deck, and indicating also in dotted lines the adjustable deck lowered to the floor of the car.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a detail showing one of the supporting devices raised as it would appear when the platform is lowered to the floor of the car.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the device shown in Fig. 8, attached to a fragment of the car frame, as it would appear when viewed from the inside of the car.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the device indicated in Fig. 8, secured to one of the posts (shown in section) of the car frame, including also a fragment of the rail connecting a plurality of the devices together for simultaneous operation.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the ratchet lever.

of the adjustable iagix 1328 i "ated by a dog Z) and Fig. 12 is a view of the lever at right anglesto Fig. 11, showing the overlapping lip of one of the plates carried by the lever between which the ratchet wheel is mounted.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of one of the sheaves over which the cables travel connecting the adjustable platform with the traveling beams.

Fig. la is an end elevation of the sheave.

Fig. 15 is aplan view of the same.

Referring now to the letters of reference placed upon the drawings:

A, denotes a freight car.

B, a right and left relatively short screwthreaded shaft extending longitudinally within the car and supported by suitable hangers B, secured to the roof timbers C.

B indicates a ratchet lever for manually actuating the shaft. 6, Z), are plates bolted to the operating arm of the lever between which is journaled a ratchet wheel b, actuto insure against the plates Z), Z), spreading a hooked shaped portion 6 is provided integral with one of the plates and overlapping the other plate as indicated in Fig. 11 of the drawings.

B B denote collars on the shaft to secure the shaft against end thrust.

D, D", are short traveling beams carried respectively by the right and left screw threaded portions of the shaft 13; the arms 'of the beams extending at an angle to their hub portions, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings ;the ends of the arms having elongated slots (Z, to permit the adjustment of the eye bolts cl, to the draw of v the hoisting cable connected therewith.

. the respective cables E. E, are connected by V the channel irons.

E, E, and E, E, are hoisting cables secured to the ends of the respective beams D, D, supported by sheaves F, bolted to the side walls of the car. The frame of the sheaves F, is provided with lugs f, f, spaced apart to receive a cable guide roller F,

journaled in said lugs; and as indicated in Fig. 13; the sheaves are provided with lugs extending from each side of the sheave frame that the roller F, may be transferred to the right or left side of the sheave, where by it may be adapted to guide a cable entering the sheave from either direction.

G, denotes an adjustable deck, to which hoisting brackets g, bolted to the sills of the deck.

The deck Gr, comprises a rectangular frame H, constructed of channel irons H forming its side sills, and also the intermediate longitudinal members, spaced from the sills and from each other, in which are partially lodged wooden strips H bolted to H are cross members forming the ends of the rectangular frame,

- to which the channel irons H, are bolted. I, 1, denote transverse space blocks between the longitudinal channel irons and J, J, are

truss rods directed beneath the channel irons, their ends extending through the side sills where they are engaged by nuts JQJ, to secure the channel irons against'spreading.

K, denotes a single course of floor boards nailed to the wooden strips H K, indicates a longitudinal strip or door filler bolted to each of the side sills. of the adjustable deck.

L, designates a swinging hooked deck support, pivoted at Z, to the casting M. The rear end of the swingingdeck support bears upwardly against the overlapping portion m, of the casting, as indicated in Fig. 10, while the forward portion of the deck support on the opposite side of its pivot, bears downwardly upon the portion m, of the casting M, beneath the support, as indicated in Fig. 9, when the device is in position (see Fig. 7) to recelve and support the deck.

L, denotes an upstanding hook on the forward end of the swinging deck supports, adapted to enter recesses L provided for their reception in the wood filler-strip bolted to the sills of the deck ;the hooked ends swinging. deck supports.

Having indicated the several parts by reference letters, the construction and operation of my invention will be readily understood.

L, to provide for the simultaneous manual operation of two or more of the When employed as an ordinary freight car i the adjustable deck rests upon the floor of the car, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

To adapt the car for carrying small stock,

the adjustable deck is raised by the rotation V of the shaft through the manual operation of the ratchet lever. i V

The short angle-shaped traveling beams to which the platform is secured by the cables are thus drawn toward each other, thereby raising the platform.

hen elevated above the swinging deck supports the latter are rocked into position, with the deck resting thereon as indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawings ;the hooked ends of the supporting members entering the recesses provided in the filler strips bolted to the sills of the deck frame, thus binding the car walls and the adjustable deck together to keep them fromspreading and therebv stiffening the structure. I

It will be noted that the short angle shaped beams serve to materially lessen the weight and cost over former devices of this character, while their angle-shaped form,-co-

of the sheaves provided to receive and guide the hoisting cables, permits of connecting the cables with the deck at points intermediate of its length, thereby overcoming any tendency of the platform sagging under its load as has been the result with devices employing relatively short traveling beams operating on a long longitudinal shaft, with the cables connected to the adjustable deck at the extreme ends of the latter.

By the use of this invention the construction and installation cost is materially reduced over devices of a somewhat similar nature, as I am enabled to use a short longitudinal right and left screw threaded shaft, a pair of short traveling beams, (approximately one foot long, as compared with devices nine feet, four inches long employed for this purpose) short hoisting cables, a minimum number of sheaves over which the cables pass, and the cables may be connected with the platform midway of its length, thereby preventing the latter from sagging under its load. So also by the peculiar construction of the platform, a great reduction in the cost and weight of the latter is obtained, without sacrificing either its strength or rigidity.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a car, a rotatable shaft located withing the car having a right and left hand screw-threaded portion, traveling beams fiatted to the shaft having arms projecting angularly therefrom, a movable platform, cables connecting said beams and the sides of said platform intermediate of its length, sheaves attached to the wall of the car adapted to guide and support the cables, and means for rotating said rotatable shaft to raise and lower the platform. I

2. In a car, a rotatable shaft located within the car, short traveling beams fitted to the shaft having angular arms, a movable platform, a plurality of sheaves attached to the sides of the car intermediate of its length having a roll adapted to receive and guide a cable, extending from each arm of the beams at an angle to the sheave and thence down to the platform to which it is engaged, and means for rotating said shaft to raise and lower the platform.

3. In a car, a rotatable shaft located within the car, short traveling beams having arms extending at an angle to the shaft with elongated slots to receive an eye bolt, eye bolts fitted to the beams through said slots and free to tilt therein, a movable platform,

sheaves attached to the walls of the car intermediate of its length having a guide roll at right angles to the sheave pulley to guide a cable directed at an angle from the beams to said sheave pulley, cables attached to the eye bolts of the beams and to the sides of the platform, supported by the sheaves, and

means for rotating said lower the platform.

a. In a car, a rotatable shaft, located within the car, short traveling beams having arms extending at an angle to the shaft, a movable platform, a plurality of sheaves bolted to the sides of the car intermediate of its length, adapted to guide and support a hoisting cable, a movable platform, cables extending at an angle from the beams to the sheaves and thence to the platform to which they are connected at points intermediate of its length, means for rotating said rotatable shaft to raise and lower the platform, and means carried by the walls of the car for supporting the platform in its adjusted po sition.

5. In a car, a movable platform located within the car, means for raising and lowering the platform, means for supporting the platform when adjusted, comprising a plurality of housings adapted to be bolted to the car frame, a tilting latch adapted to support the platform pivoted within each housing and swinging entirely within the body of the car, and means connecting a plurality of the latches together, whereby they may be manually operated in unison.

6. In a car, a movable platform located within the body of the car, means for raising and lowering the platform, means for sup porting the platform when adjusted, comprising a plurality of swinging latches severally pivoted in suitable housings bolted to the car frame, each of said latches having an upstanding hook at its outer end adapted to enter a recess in the frame of the platform, whereby when engaged with the platform it may serve .to prevent the side walls of the car from spreading, and a rail connecting a plurality of said latches together, whereby they may be operated in unison.

In a car, a movable platform located within the ear, comprising a plurality of channel irons, transverse members connecting the ends of the channel irons, a wood filler partially lodged in the channel irons and bolted thereto, and a suitable flooring secured to the wood fillers.

a car, a movable platform located within the car, comprising a plurality of longitudinal channel irons, transverse members connecting the ends of the channel irons, a wood filler lodged partially within the channel irons and bolted thereto, trans verse space blocks between the longitudinal channel irons, truss rods connecting the outside channel irons, and a single floor course nailed to the wood fillers.

9. I11 a car, a rotatable shaft located with in the car, traveling beams fitted to the rotatable shaft, a movable platform, cables connecting the traveling beams with the shaft to raise and side plates journaled 0n the shaft platform, means for rotating said shaft, comprising a ratchet wheel, a lever having and spaced apart to receive the ratchet wheel, one of said plates having a lip adapted to bridge the space between the plates and to overlap the opposing plate whereby the plates may be kept from spreading, and a dog lodged Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents Witnesses:

THOMAS F. FINLEY,

A. J. HENRY.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

